Slides, yes! Presentation, no! Reflection.

Slides, yes! Presentation, no!- Reflection

When creating slide presentations (whether using Google slides or Power Point), I have always found myself needing to scale back on the amount of text I would include on each slide. Slide presentations are meant not to be too crowded, as they become overbearing and the goal of the content gets lost (as a presentation). However, since with this assignment we were to use Google Slides NOT as a presentation tool, I found I was able to include lots of text within my slides. 

The intent for these slides is to be used as a study guide for my common theme of a 2nd grade water cycle unit. It can either be printed off as a hard copy, or it can be used online. I did try to stick with fonts and some graphics that I had used in prior "lessons" for this, as to keep some familiarity going with this theme. I also tried to choose graphics and backgrounds that would transfer over well if printed out.

At the end of the study guide, the last few pages are meant to be filled in by the student, as to check their learning and quiz themselves. Whether they use it as a print-out or online, it will be just as effective. After watching the video on how to 'drag and drop', I decided to use that for those pages where the students quiz themselves. I think I have three slides where I created a background in a separate slide doc, saved them as images, then inserted them as backgrounds so that they were fixed and the students would not be able to move them around. They will only be able to move around the words that are in the word banks to insert them in the appropriate blanks. Again, the fill-in-the-blanks will still work just as effectively as a print-out.

Google Slides Reflection

Google Slides Reflection

Google Slides: I like it. It's nothing too fancy or intricate, but it still seems to be very effective. It is pretty straight forward, and reminds me of Power Point. For my presentation, I decided to stick with my theme of a second grade lesson on the water cycle. My objective going in was to present the content in a manner that was not boring and would hopefully hold the students' attention. To achieve this, I made use of the animation feature. If Power Point has a similar feature, I have never used it before. It took me just a couple of quick Google searches to fully understand how to get the animation tool to work to my liking. Using animation in slides really helped to segment or sort the information that was within each slide. That way, not all of the information is readily visible on each slide immediately. This should help to keep students focused on one point of a slide and not read or look ahead (although each individual slide should not be overrun with too much information). 

I also tried to keep the animation relevant to whatever it was animating. For example, for evaporation I had the animation moving up from the bottom. For precipitation I had it coming down from the top. If animation is to be used, I think it should be relevant to whatever it is representing as much as possible as to "drive the idea/concept home" even more!

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HyperDocs Reflection

Up until now, I had no idea what HyperDocs was. I am not sure if I have even heard of it, to be honest. I found both interviews to be very informational about HyperDocs. I liked learning about it in more of an informal way, so to say, as opposed to having to read stuffy, boring information on it.

During Sean Fahey's interview, one of his main points that stuck with me about the benefits of using HyperDocs in the classroom was that it can actually allow the teacher to work one-on-one with students who are struggling or who may need some extra help. So this means that while other students are independently working in a HyperDoc, teachers can use this opportunity to give those who need it some extra help. So not only can HyperDocs be another way to teach kids and another means to deliver content, but it can almost even act as another teacher to allow us to find that time to work with struggling students. I like that. I know it can be tough for teachers to be able to get enough one-on-one time in with students who really need it. Mr. Fahey also mentioned that HyperDocs allow students to be in control of their own learning. I feel this is very powerful, for students to feel that they are in control of aspects of their learning. 

Lastly on his interview, he had mentioned the 'oneword' hashtag. I was able to make a connection with this, as the school I worked in last year actually used this with all of the staff starting on the first day of school, and it continuously came up during our staff meetings and staff development activities. So not only does this work with students, but it was also useful with the adult staff!

There were a couple of points during Lisa Highfill's interview that stuck with me and that I will consider implementing when I have my own classroom. She mentions that students have the opportunity to explore a lesson in HyperDocs first, and then the teacher can verbally explain it and get into the lesson. I do like this. This gives students the chance to get a little sneak peak into a lesson before it is officially taught. They can form their own questions and wonderings ahead of time. I feel this can create a really meaningful learning experience, as not only is the teacher going in with some prior knowledge on the subject, but the students can as well. She mentions how using technology versus physical teaching can be blended. Technology teaching was not meant to take over teaching. She gave a good ratio of one tech lesson per subject a week. I feel that is a pretty good amount. The main thing I got out of her interview about HyperDocs is that is can be extremely useful to use it for really important lessons that you may really want to "stick". This makes so much sense. For really important lessons, not only can the teacher teach them, but they can also use HyperDocs to really reinforce the content and points of the lessons that really need it.

I am relieved to know that technology does not have to necessarily take over the classroom. It can be used as an additional tool to help us deliver content in another way. Not only can it help us teach important lessons, it can also help free us up so we can meaningfully work one-on-one with students who need the extra help!

Link to my initial HyperDocs leesson plan. (2nd grade Science lesson on the water cycle).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WNCkV8yra-fasN6YX0KwKXtv0fjSyqtUkorw5VLYQ_Q/edit?usp=sharing

EDU 585-Week 2 Reflecting on What a Blog is

To be honest, I really have never put much thought into blogging, blogs, what a blog is, etc. I never really cared. I always thought a blog was just another form of social media. Something where people can talk about their thoughts, what they've been doing, where they have been, etc. on a platform that can handle much more text and characters. Just another outlet for people to talk about themselves, and show the world how unique they are. If I heard the phrase "I write a blog", I would immediately assume it was something among the lines of a young mother blogging about all of the "amazing" gluten-free, soy-free, sugar-free, taste-free foods she was feeding to her unvaccinated children. Or some young tech guy that posts all about the newest tech gadgets he has been able to get his hands on first, before anyone else. I guess you could say I have always thought of blogging as just another form of boasting or bragging. I think I am starting to scrape the top of the iceberg in learning that blogging is more than just yet another form of boastful social media. 

In the first article by Susan Oxnevad, Blogging to Learn, she starts out by saying she actually learns more from blogging than any other professional activity. I had to stop there and think about that. How could she learn more from something she wrote and thought of than from some other professional development??? In what context? Was she only talking about learning more about herself and her methods through deep, thoughtful reflections? Was she just talking about learning and growing from reflecting, or was she talking about actually learning and gaining new information about the world and methods around her?

Reading on, she does mention how blogging does in fact involve engaging in research. Maybe I already knew this, or maybe I didn't really think of blogging as involving research. I still think I assumed blogs were all based solely around the writer's own thoughts and opinions, not anything researched-based. 

So now my wheels are turning and I am thinking about how blogs might be more of a form of one's personal thoughts/opinions, but can be backed by research.

One thing the author mentioned that really stuck with me, is that a blog is to be used as a tool for yourself, however, you want to write it as if it is for an audience. Some people may use journals for themselves, but the writing may not be of good quality since it was only intended for them. We can kind of think of a blog as a public journal, so to say. 

In the next article by George Couros, The Principle of Change, I must say that it was reassuring when he said that blog posts do not need to be long, intricate college essays. A blog means writing. Writing can be intimidating for some. If every blog post was required to be like a college essay, blogging could feel much more burdensome, and possibly more like a forced assignment of sorts. 

I have never really gotten into reading blogs, but a cousin of mine had one where she wrote about her life in NYC. The author of the article mentions focusing on a consistency of posting blogs, as opposed to trying to blog all of the time. This had made me think of my cousin's blog. She started out posting a couple of times a week, and I had found her posts to be entertaining. Then she must have used up all of her resources or fun thoughts too soon, then started to post just once or twice a month. I lost interest in her blog. Even though the content was still interesting, her inconsistencies in posting turned me off and made me lose interest. 

The article's author always stresses for blog posters to not overthink their blog, and to do it for themselves!

After reading these two articles, I can say that I do look forward to learning from blogging. I have always thought that people blog what they have already learned, but to learn from blogging takes a different perspective that I look forward to experiencing. I think another key is to not get stressed about it. Yes, a blog is a form of writing, but it does not have to be scary or intimidating. It seems blogging comes from thoughts and ideas from within, reflective, as to which then prompt research and clarification. Blogs do not have to be long papers, however we may not want to post a blog that is only a sentence or two. And lastly, a blog is for OURSELF, but we want to write as if it were for an audience!

EDU 585- Week 1 Reflection

Week 1 Reflection

The first week of EDU 585 sure did sneak up on me quickly! Typically before a new class starts, I get a slight case of nervousness, as I do not know what to expect. A student in a past class of mine did tell me this class flows right along and the instructor is very understanding, so that helped to know going into it. However, I can tell you that I was not thrilled when I learned each class will be a weekly 3+ hour video chat style class. Video chat anything is not my favorite at all. I do not like to use FaceTime even with family or friends, and was not comfortable going into a new class where I do not know anybody, and having to be on video. It was reassuring knowing that we do have the option to not have our face on screen all of the time. Impersonal, I know, but more comfortable, yes!

When I initially think of educational technology, one immediate thing that pops into mind are the potential frustrations of learning curves, for both the teachers and students. Learning new technologies can be a hard process initially. Many times, it seems it is the norm to have frustrations while learning new technologies. 

Another thing that comes to mind when I think of educational technologies is how they can serve as additional tools to help teach a unit. They break down the monotony out of both teaching and learning a unit. As an elementary school instructional assistant, I have worked in many classrooms. In most grades, I do recall seeing the use of educational technology during math stations. During math stations on a particular unit, students will rotate from station to station, participating in different activities or assignments that help to teach them that math unit. There could be a worksheet station, a game station, a teacher station, and an iPad station. All of the stations are related and teach the same concepts, but just in different forms. It's great!

I also appreciate how educational technology can be used as a form of assistive technology, and adaptive technology. This can be helpful for students with certain learning needs or even behavioral needs. Learning can be tailored and individualized on technology (such as iPads), and students of varying levels can still work side by side. 

One point that was made during our first EDU 585 class was that educational technologies MUST be driven by the instructional goal, and the technology is used to enhance that goal (and not driven by the technology alone). New technology can be very exciting, but as exciting it may be, it can be useless if that technology is not driven and influenced primarily by the educational goals and standards.

One thing I was wondering after our class was whether or not we would be required to have access to students and to have interactions with them while using educational technologies. I was given the response that we are not required to, but of course it could always help. I am not too worried about this. as I do already work in an elementary school. This year it is with kindergartners, so I am unsure yet of how much technology they use/know/will learn.

As far as setting up the blog, it was pretty simple. I just followed along and paused it when I was working on a next step. Initially, I started off a little worried, as I did not see Blogger in my Google apps like the tutorial states, but I was able to go right to the website itself. I was also a little distracted while watching the instructional video, because the whole time in the back of my head I was trying to figure out exactly what we were building the blog to talk about. I wasn't sure if we were to base it around one type of educational technology, or if we were to blog about our interactions and experiences using educational technology with students, or if we were to create our own idea of an educational technology. I did get clarification that it is mainly for reflecting on our previous class, reading from that week, etc. 

I look forward to gaining more knowledge on various types of educational technologies, and how I will be able to use them to help me with my instruction in my future classroom (of hopefully 2nd or 3rd graders)!

I am still in the midst of going through the instructional video, so I am hoping I will finish this correctly, and that I have met all of the requirements for this assignment!